Senior Spotlight: Mallory Baldwin

May 2014

Hometown? Eldridge, IA

What is your major? Theatre

What SAU Productions have you been involved in?A New Brain and The Plagiarists as an assistant stage manager.

Who inspires you?A lot of people do! My parents, my teachers. Some of my favorite actors and actresses. But most of all, my friends. They inspire me all the time to do the things I want to do, and taught me that I can just be myself.

What is your favorite play/musical and why?My favorite musical is Wicked. I love fantasy stories, and one of my favorite movies as a kid was The Wizard of Oz. I love hearing a "behind the story" version of different tales; it's fascinating to me. I compare myself with Elphaba a lot, as well. The music is also amazing, and some of my favorite songs include: Defying Gravity, One Short Day, Dancing Through Life, and I'm Not That Girl.

What drew you to the Theatre and when?When I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do in my life, I joined one of my high school teacher's acting classes for teenagers in my senior year of high school. It was a lot of fun, I got to meet a lot of new people, and I became closer to my other friends from the same high school. After that, I decided I'd enjoy being a theatre major and that I really wanted to go into voice over and voice acting work.

What is your favorite memory of the Theatre?My favorite memory would be being the assistant stage manager to A New Brain and The Plagiarists. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed watching the teachers direct, block, and choreograph the plays. I loved watching Dan directing the shower scene between Kyle DeFauw and Tony Stratton's characters in A New Brain, as well as choreographing all of the dances himself, and Cory figuring out how to direct the intimate scenes in The Plagiarists.

Any words of wisdom or advice for future Theatre patrons?If you're anything like me, and you are shy or have stage fright, don't be afraid of being yourself! Be who you are, first and foremost. If you are a reserved person or get embarrassed at everything you do onstage, then you have to learn how to not be embarrassed as easily. Really, one of the lessons you learn in acting classes is to handle embarrassment. If you can't be embarrassing around your close friends, then acting may be difficult for you. This is me speaking from experience. I walked into SAU with very little acting experience, and I was very embarrassed during my first acting class. After letting myself be who I am and not be embarrassed anymore, I've been a lot better at acting, I'd like to think. It might be quite difficult at first, but don't let that get you down! Everyone learns at different paces.Don't be afraid of asking for help, either. If you need to ask a teacher or a fellow classmate about something, just do it! Don't wait until the last minute before a test starts or a play begins. It's difficult not only for you, but for others as well, if you aren't prepared. Needing help isn't a sign of weakness at all, especially in college.Listen to and talk to the directors and stage managers. Even if you think a different way, don't just do what you think is right. Talk to your directors and stage managers first and make sure everyone is on the same page. Don't be arrogant and think your way is the only one. Listen to their thoughts and reasons as to why they think that way. You can offer your opinions, but the director has the last say in their show.

What will you miss the most about the SAU Theatre department?The fun teachers and classes!

What are your plans after graduation?I love making people laugh and have fun, and I want to be a voice actress. There's a company down in Texas that I would really love to work for, because they have both of those things. They make video game podcasts and make other videos for YouTube, as well as make their own web series, in which their employees to do voice overs. It's a two-for-one with my interests! I'm a huge fan of their work, and I really wish to have a job there after graduation.